Which Greek island YOU should go to: From best for beaches to top pick for foodies, families or relaxation, a top travel expert's 18 favourites for exactly what you want
Summer is well under way, and you might be thinking of a last-minute dash to the cool azure waters of the Greek islands. But with some 1,200 to choose from, each offering its own delights, how do you decide where to go?
As a Greece expert, I've spent my life travelling to the country and have visited more than 30 of its islands – so I know the charms and characteristics each of them has to offer.
From royal favourites to foodie hotspots and the island boasting the very best beaches, here are my top suggestions for where you should book depending on your preferences.
Best for beaches: Alonissos, Sporades
Patitiri Bay on Alonissos. The island has more than 20 beautiful beaches to explore
Famed for her many gorgeous beaches and the largest marine park in Europe – containing more than 80 species of birds, 300 species of fish, and the rare Mediterranean monk seal – Alonissos is packed with charm and perfumed with the scent of pine trees. The Old Town, atop a steep hill, is one of windy alleys flanked by stone houses with vine-covered courtyards – many rebuilt after the earthquake of 1965. Picturesque bays and dramatic cliffs surround the island, as well as some fine sandy beaches – Chrysi Milia being among the finest. Numerous islets lie nearby, including Peristera, off whose coast lies a shipwreck dating back to the 5th century BC. An underwater museum since 2020, this dive site is known as The Parthenon of Shipwrecks, where you can still see thousands of amphoras filled with the famed wines from Mendi.
Book it: Four nights at Marpunta Resort from £1,246pp on an All-Inclusive basis, including flights, taxis and ferries, www.olympicholidays.com (September)
Best for architecture: Serifos, Cyclades
A traditional, white-washed Orthodox church on a hilltop overlooking the island of Serifos
The first holiday I took sans parents on leaving school was to Serifos. In those antediluvian days, there was virtually nothing on the island, and the bank consisted of a man on a bicycle with a tin box. The island remains one of the most unspoiled of the Cyclades, overshadowed by her more famous sisters, Mykonos and Santorini. But bars, restaurants and small hotels have inevitably sprung up, serving authentic Greek dishes, and a chic new winery, Chrysoloras, has reclaimed ancient terraces.
Chora, the island's capital, is built like an amphitheatre atop the central mountain, with views over the whole, barren island, fringed by a vast turquoise sea. Legend has it that on the summit of Chora Perseus buried the head of Medusa, whose last hurrah was to turn the island to stone.
A big attraction of the island is its beaches – there are, reputedly, 72 – which, even in summer, are not over-crowded. Platis Gialos, Avessalos and Skala are among the best known, while the trendy Coco-Mat Eco Residences sit on a prime location on Vagia beach, in former miners' huts. The island was once known for its gold mines– the largest of these, eerily abandoned, can be visited at Mega Livadi.
Book it: From £294 per night (September), www.coco-matserifos.com
Best for foodies: Sifnos, Cyclades
Plate of Greek salad served with traditional feta cheese on taverna table in Kastro, Sifnos
Sifnos is, to her more jazzy Cycladic sisters, what Stromboli is to Panarea – where Hollywood stars head for an under-the-radar break. In common with neighbouring Serifos (these islands make a great two-centre holiday) Sifnos has a history of gold mining, which accounts for the 75 mostly-ruined watch towers scattered across the island. Medieval Kastro, towering defensively above the azure waters, is a Cubist canvas of white-washed houses fortified against the ever-present threat of piratical raids.
Walking trails criss-cross the rugged terrain dotted with olive trees and fields divided by ancient drystone walls and numerous picturesque churches. It is an unspoiled, authentic landscape where you come for peace, rather than for partying – unless you visit during the three-day Gastronomy Festival in early September. Sifnos is famed for her cuisine, birthplace of Nikolaos Tselementes, who compiled the first Greek cook book. Expect not only wonderful sea-front tavernas, but also more sophisticated offerings such as at the inventive take on traditional dishes at Bostani – an elegant restaurant perched on a terrace above the sea – or at the ever-popular waterside Cantina, accessible only via boat or a steep hike.
Book it: Seven nights at the Verina Hotel, from £1,515, including flights, ferries and transfers, www.islandsofgreece.co.uk
Best for history lovers: Syros, Cyclades
Ermoupolis on the island of Syros is renowned for its neoclassical architecture and historic buildings
'The capital of elegance and nobility' according to the French romantic poet Théophile Gautier, Syros is also the capital of the Cyclades, blessed with numerous museums, art galleries, imposing civic architecture and beautiful churches (both Orthodox and, unusually, Catholic). The island is famed for the elegance of Ermoupolis, whose 19th-century neoclassical mansions – replete with plaster decorations, ornate ceilings, heavy doors, balconies and fine ironwork – face the waterfront. Among its imposing buildings is the Apollo Theatre – a smaller version of La Scala in Milan – while the large harbour, once the most important port in Greece, is lined today with shops and cafes selling the local specialities, halvadopita and loukoumi.
Much older is the medieval warren of Ano Syros, built by the Venetians, who arrived in 1207. Older still are important Bronze Age archaeological sites, such as Kastri, some of whose treasures are now housed in the Archaeological Museum of Syros. The island was, incidentally, the home of Pherecydes, a philosopher who invented the solar clock, and taught Pythagoras. There is no shortage of things to see on Syros, before relaxing on the golden sands of Aetos beach.
Book it: Seven nights at the Hotel Argini, inclusive of flights and ferries, from £1,345pp, www.astraeusholidays.co.uk
Best for nostalgic charm: Patmos, Dodecanese
St John's monastery, with its turrets and stone walls, on Patmos is still a popular pilgrimage site
The island of exile of St. John of the Apocalypse, whose cave and 11th-century Fortress Monastery is a major pilgrimage site, Patmos is famed for its Orthodox Easter celebrations, when a room on the island cannot be had for love nor money. Within the monastery, a warren of courtyards, covered passageways, soaring arches, inaccessible windows and hidden chapels, all connected by Escher-like stairways, conceals numerous treasures – including the skull of St. Thomas and an icon gifted by Catherine the Great. It is also home to some ruins from the Temple of Athena who, according to legend, raised the island from the sea.
The houses of medieval Chora (part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site) tumble down beneath the monastery, built cheek-by-jowl to enable escape over the rooftops and into the fortified sanctuary in the event of pirate attacks. Today, discreet whitewashed walls protect the splendid mansions that lie within the courtyards, while elegant Captains' houses line the shore below.
There are some delightful pebble beaches along the northern coast, but should you go to the island's only sandy beach, at Psili Ammos, you will look across to the cape of Genoupas – an evil magician whom St. John defeated in battle. The Saint's influence on the island is inescapable.
Book it: Seven nights at Akti Suites & Spa Hotel, including flights and ferries, from £1,307pp, www.sunvil.co.uk
Best for spotting royals: Ithaka, Ionian
Boats docked in Kioni port on the island of Ithaka, birthplace of the Greek hero Odysseus
William, Kate and family are said to have spent a week off the coast of Ithaka in July. No wonder. This mountainous island of golden light offers sparkling seas and secluded pebble beaches in abundance. An ancient network of mule tracks, once the only link between the villages, makes for a walker's paradise, with their overgrown cobbles leading through orchards, olive groves and terraced fields where ancient windmills crumble with time. And though the island is small enough to drive around in a single day, its hilltop towns, Venetian-era churches and picturesque fishing villages – such as Kioni, with its backdrop of wooded hills and vibrant harbour-side tavernas – reward several days' exploration.
If neighbouring Kephallonia was popularised by Captain Corelli, uieter, dreamy Ithaka boasts much older literary associations as the island of Homer's hero Odysseus. Lord Byron, on his visit in 1823, was so enchanted by the island he even considered purchasing it. 'If this isle were mine' he told his friend Trelawny in 1823, 'I would break my staff and bury my books and never leave'.
Book it: Seven nights at Kyparissi Suites from £1,370pp, including flights, ferries and hire car (August), www.simpsontravel.com
Best for craggy beauty: Chios, North Aegean
The famous historical stone windmills on the island of Chios. The island is more lowkey than other Greek destinations
Until recently, the island of Chios received tourists rather moodily, and does not readily reveal her considerable charms. A hire car is vital for reaching the best beaches, such as my own favourite, Mavra Volia, with its smooth, black volcanic pebbles on Chios' southern shore. Those who prefer sandy beaches can head for Karfas and Komi, buzzing with hotels and restaurants, and popular with families.
Homer's island has beautiful medieval villages that ooze history, accessed via winding mountain roads. Anyone who has seen Delacroix's Massacre of Chios, in the Louvre, might like to visit Anavatos, which succumbed to the Turkish invasion of 1822, despite being perched atop a granite cliff; or the UNESCO-listed 11th-century Nea Moni (New Monastery). Closer to town, the labyrinthine lanes of Kampos, once the summer residence of wealthy Genoese merchants, still echoes with the grandeur of the past. Not to be missed is Pyrgi, a unique village whose houses are etched with intricate geometrical designs. It is one of the 21 Mastichochoria – the villages that produced the famous Chios mastic, from trees that yield this precious resin nowhere else on earth.
Book it: Seven nights at Perleas Mansion, including flights and transfers, from £1,516pp, www.cachet-travel.co.uk
Best for time travel: Ikaria, North Aegean
The island, which features traditional villages such as Evdilos, packs a big punch, being one of only five designated Blue Zones around the world, famed for the longevity of their inhabitants
Set in the Northern Aegean isolated in both time and place, Ikaria is a wonderful anachronism, long protected from tourism by its inaccessibility (the ferry timetable is capricious). After the Second World War, this forgotten isle was a place of exile for Communists. Yet the island packs a big punch, being one of only five designated Blue Zones around the world, famed for the longevity of their inhabitants. Locals put this down to their active lifestyle, diet of local herbs and greens, the island's potent red wine – praised by Homer as the tonic for the heroes of the Trojan War – the therapeutic hot springs in which visitors may still bathe, and the mood-enhancing magnesium allegedly released from the granite rocks by the force of the sun.
Roads were not built until the 1990s, and steep, overgrown footpaths still lead up to the mountaintop village, camouflaged Flintstone-style into the rock to protect residents from pirate raids. The islanders supposedly slept all day and only emerged at night – and still enjoy an eccentric reputation. Mileopolis, perched on a flower-covered gorge above the sea, is one of several lovely villages high up winding mountain roads, while the loveliest beaches include Mesakti, Livadi and Mangganitis. It remains a natural paradise.
In mythology, the island is linked to Dionysus, god of wine, and is named after Icarus, who flew too close to the sun, melted the wax binding his feathered wings, and plunged into the sea off its shores.
Book it: Seven nights at Valeta Studios, including flights and ferries, from £992pp, www.sunvil.co.uk
Best for snorkelling: Kastellorizo, Dodecanese
The blue cave of Perasta is a popular tourist spot with its rich waters that possess an incredible colour
Best-known as the setting of the 1991 film Mediterraneo, this tiny and most south-easterly of Greece's islands has had a checkered history. Successively occupied by Mycenaeans, Dorians, the Knights of St. John, the Sultan of Egypt and, in 1450, by the King of Naples, the ensuing 400-year long Turkish occupation ended in 1920 with Italian rule when the island's depopulation began.
Now mainly a fishermen's island, it has only one settlement, whose pastel-coloured Neoclassical houses hug one of the prettiest harbours in the Dodecanese, perfect for a passeggiata and an ouzo with meze. Look out for the rosy ruins of the hilltop Crusader castle (Castello Rosso) from which the island derives its Italianate name, and be sure to visit the rare 4th-century BC Lycian rock tomb, Paleokastro (the ancient capital) and the Blue Cave of Perasta, that rivals that of Capri. The nearby islet of Rho offers clear waters and diverse marine life to make for a great snorkelling experience – be sure to look out for sea turtles.
Book it: Seven nights at the atmospheric Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel, plus one night either side in Rhodes, from £1,305pp, including flights, ferries, and transfers, www.islandsofgreece.co.uk
Best for romantics: Kythira, Ionian
The seaside village of Avlemonas on Kythira. It is recommended to hire a car to fully explore the island
Like a pendant jewel beneath the Peloponnese, Kythira is a well-kept secret. It offers the character of Cycladic islands (cue white sugarcube houses), along with the lush greenery of the Ionians, with a riot of wild flowers in Spring. The tiny islet of Avgo (Egg) off the southern tip vies with Cyprus as the birthplace of Aphrodite – and you can see why. With the romantic Neraida waterfall tumbling into an aquamarine pool, Venetian-era castles, spectacular hilltop views, pretty fishing ports and typical tavernas and kafenia (coffee houses) where locals gather, the island is a delight. Be sure to hire a car to explore the 40-odd hillside villages and beaches.
Book it: Seven nights at the four-star Kythea Resort Hotel, Agia Pelagia, from £1,775pp, including all flights, www.cachet-travel.co.uk
Best for history buffs and fish restaurants: Spetses, Saronic Gulf
Spetses is one of the best preserved Greek islands, with strict laws on private cars helping to preserve its rustic charm
As a rule of thumb, the more easily accessible an island, the more it falls prey to mass tourism. Spetses remains an exception. Just two hours by ferry from Piraeus, or five minutes by water taxi from Porto Heli, the island retains its charm and has been a popular bolt-hole for fashionable Athenians ever since Sotirios Anargyros, a tobacco tycoon, built the Poseidonion Hotel in 1914 as a luxurious retreat for hunting parties.
We have the foresight of Anargyros, an early conservationist, to thank for the pristine nature of Spetses: he purchased two-thirds of the island and planted 100,000 Aleppo pines, to prevent over-development. Today, no private cars are allowed in town, with visitors relying on horse-drawn carriages or shanks's pony (or a rare taxi) to get around the delightful waterfront with its coffee shops, fashionable boutiques, former pirates' warehouses and the Old Harbour, where yachts moor by the island's trendiest restaurants. Further on are the shipyards that continue their traditional craft of building wooden boats.
Rich in history, Spetses was key in the 1821 War of Independence against the Turks. Descendants of the revolutionaries still inhabit grand mansions, some of which are now discreet hotels or, like the home of the heroine Admiral Laskarina Bouboulina, museums.
Book it: Seven nights at the Economou Mansion, including flight and ferry, from £1,370pp, www.sunvil.co.uk
Best for arty types: Hydra, Saronic Gulf
Singer Leonard Cohen owned a property on Hydra, and artists and musicians alike have been inspired by the island's beauty for decades
When an island is labelled 'cosmopolitan', it might raise some red flags – and it's true that Hydra gets very crowded in summer. Its picture-perfect charm, however, has attracted Hollywood celebrities to the island since the 1960s (think Sophia Loren, Maria Callas, Peter Ustinov), Leonard Cohen had a house here, and numerous artists, including Picasso and Chagall have all been seduced by the island's charm. Like neighbouring Spetses, tiny Hydra played an important role in the 1821 War of Independence, and beautiful 18th-century captains' mansions line the port, with cannons still pointing out to sea.
Even if you decide not to stay here, a day-trip is a must, to stroll along the steep cobblestone paths, nibble delicious amygdalota from Tsangaris' bakery, and climb to Kiafa, the oldest settlement with its narrow alleyways. Those with energy can climb up to the seven windmills and to the hilltop monastery of Prophet Ilyas for breathtaking views. Be warned: cars and motorbikes are banned. You get around by foot (or donkey), or take a boat to some remote, beachy cove.
Book it: Five nights at Bratsera Hotel from £1,891pp, including flights from Gatwick to Athens and ferry transfers, www.olympicholidays.com
Best for getting off the beaten track: Astypalea, Dodecanese
The Venetian Castle of Astypalea. Work began on the structure in the 13th century but it wasn't completed until the 15th century
Although in the Dodecanese, with her whitewashed houses tumbling from the dark hilltop castle to the rugged coastline, windmills and vivid bougainvillea, you could easily mistake Astypalea for a Cycladic island. This off-the-beaten-track island, whose picturesque harbour offers the clearest waters and beautiful remote beaches (Kaminakia among the loveliest) and numerous islets boat tours will take you to. Rock climbers can test their mettle on the cliffs at Ftera, and speleologists can make a 45-minute hike from Vatses beach to see the stalactites of Negrou cave, said to be the site of buried treasure.
Book it: Gerani Studios from £120 per room, www.astypalaiagerani.gr
Best for a taste of Greece: Paxos, Ionian
The surrounding waters of Paxos are great for snorkelling, and the spring and early summer wild flowers make it a paradise for walkers
One of the smallest islands in the Ionian Sea, Paxos shares many of the best aspects of neighbouring Corfu – warm, turquoise waters and verdant hills – but without the crowds. Just seven by three miles in size, it is a tranquil island unspoilt by mass tourism, where 300,000 ancient silvery olive trees shimmer in the sun and elegant yachts moor in its beautiful bays. The surrounding waters are great for snorkelling, and the spring and early summer wild flowers make it a paradise for walkers. The island has just 2,500 inhabitants, and people gather at the capital, Gaios (the main harbour) with its Venetian architecture, pedestrianised seafront square and lively tavernas. For traditional seafood tavernas, head to the delightful fishing village of Loggos.
Book it: Seven nights at Loggos Mills from £789pp, including flights, hire car, and boat transfer, www.sunvil.co.uk
Best for Instagram appeal: Santorini, Cyclades
The white and blue houses of Oia, Santorini, have seen it become a popular Instagram spot, meaning it can get very crowded during the summer months
Poor old Santorini has come in for a lot of flak of late: first, for its tsunami of cruise passengers flooding the island, followed by a series of earthquakes. It's true, Santorini is hideous in high season – but only in the picture-perfect, caldera cliff-edge village of Oia, if you are not staying in a 'gated' hotel, protected from the crowds. I'm a recent convert to the island, which has much to offer beyond those Instagram sunsets: Its famous Assyrtiko vineyards, Pyrgos – the island's highest village – where life continues much as before, the mysterious fortress town of Kastelli, not to mention the Minoan city of Akrotiri, discovered in the 1960s. There are sophisticated (if pricey) hotels and restaurants – but also local tavernas, serving excellent local specialities, such as caper leaves and fava.
Book it: Santo Mine Suites from £620, www.santocollection.gr.
Direct flights from Gatwick, from £120 return
Best for mountain biking: Thirassia, Cyclades
The rugged terrain of Thirassia lends itself to mountain biking and hiking, and it can be easily reached from Santorini if you want to escape the crowds
Attached to Santorini until the eruption of 1600BC, and just a ten-minute boat taxi ride away from its big sister, Thirassia gives you a true sense of what Santorini was like 50 years ago. The island lends itself to mountain biking and hiking, and Yannis, the omniscient owner of Explore Thirassia, shows guests abandoned cave houses hidden in an overgrown gorge, family chapels, and feeds you on wild asparagus, cactus leaves and fresh cheese in an exhilarating mix of hiking, history and food. With just 200 people, the island is totally undeveloped. Yet, in the Bronze Age, Thirassia was home to an important civilization whose sparse ruins, on the tip of the island, led to the discovery of Akrotiri on neighbouring Santorini. These finds led Jacques Cousteau to believe that this was the location of the legendary island of Atlantis.
Book it: No need – just a day trip from Santorini
Best for the new party crowd: Paros, Cyclades
A Greek water fountain and a blue domed church in the white streets of Parikia Town on the island of Paros
Once best-known, perhaps, for her fine white marble, used in antiquity by sculptors such as Praxiteles, these days Paros has a different reputation. The island is fast becoming the overspill to her more famous and glamorous party neighbour, Mykonos, with Naoussa the centre of nightlife. But, despite the crowds that descend here, Paros retains her charm, with lovely beaches, exquisite off-shore islets, little fishing harbours and pretty villages, such as Marpissa and Lefkes. With great ferry connections, it is convenient for island hopping, and you can always escape the crowds to the nearby island of Antiparos, ten minutes away, or hop across to neighbouring Naxos, where, according to legend, Theseus heartlessly abandoned Ariadne. There are strong winds in the channel between these two islands which make it a great spot for windsurfing. If in need of a spot of culture, the church of Panagia Ekatontapiliani in Parikia might be of interest: said to have been built by St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, with elements that pre-date the official adoption of Christianity. For a more strenuous visit, you can climb the hill to the Monastery of Agios Antonios and the ruins of the medieval Frankish castle of Kephalos. Catch the island before it is Mykonised!
Book it: Seven nights at the Zefi hotel, from £1,428pp, including flights and transfers, www.sunvil.co.uk
Best for communing with the gods: Samothraki, North Aegean
Samothraki is an un-commercial island, which may suit those looking for a slower pace of life
According to Homer, Poseidon watched the fall of Troy from atop Mount Fengari (Moon Mountain) on this island. For mortals, Samothraki might be best known for her statue of Nike discovered in Sanctuary of the Great Gods in 1863 (now housed in the Louvre) which inspired the Rolls-Royce symbol, the Spirit of Ecstasy. There is little to do on this relatively non-commercial island, besides swimming, hiking and enjoying the wilderness – the highest mountains in the Aegean, waterfalls, gorges, rivers, translucent rock pools and lovely beaches of both pebble and sand – such as at Pachia Ammos. Boats can take you around the island, stopping at remote beaches, and give you some history, to boot. Accommodation is basic, in the two main tourist spots of Kamariotissa, the port town, and Therma (named after sulphur springs there) and food is as fresh and local as it gets: excellent fish taverns along the north coast, and numerous tavernas specialising in goat – especially good in the mountainside village of Profitis Ilias.
Book it: Parselia Rooms from £85 per night (August), www.booking.com
Ferry return from Alexandroupoli £15.50
